Solid-state batteries use a solid material inside the battery instead of a liquid. They could be safer and store more energy, but making them reliably at scale is still difficult.
CATL is a company that makes the battery cells used in many electric cars. Here, they’re talking about the battery tech they’re developing and releasing.
W/kg means “how much power per kilogram.” Higher W/kg suggests the battery can handle more power while staying lighter, which helps with fast charging and strong performance.
Term
engine density
They’re talking about how much “battery energy” you can fit into a given size or weight. If that number goes up, the battery can be lighter or the car can go farther without adding weight.
NCM is a type of battery chemistry (the materials inside the battery that help store energy). It’s widely used in EVs, and different versions can trade off range, cost, and how well the battery handles high power.
They’re talking about charging a battery extremely fast—on the order of a few minutes for a big chunk of the charge. Fast charging is hard on the battery, so the system has to manage heat and stress to keep it safe.
PHEV means a plug-in hybrid. It can drive on electricity, but it also has a gas engine for longer trips or when the battery is low.
Term
IEV
IEV is a label some places use for plug-in electric vehicles. In this conversation, it’s being treated as similar to PHEV—cars you can charge from the grid.
Mercedes-Benz is mentioned as another major car company that built plug-in hybrids years ago. The speaker is using it as an example of early PHEV development.
BMW is mentioned as one of the car companies that worked on plug-in hybrids in the past. The point is that big automakers were already building PHEVs years ago.
They’re talking about a battery type that uses sodium instead of lithium. It’s being developed as an alternative option for some kinds of energy storage and vehicle needs.
Braking distance is how far a car goes after you hit the brakes until it stops. Heavier cars usually need more stopping distance because they have more momentum.
Tire consumption refers to how quickly tires wear out, which can increase with vehicle weight and driving conditions. The speaker links additional weight to higher tire wear, which is one of the cost and maintenance tradeoffs of heavier vehicles.
Brake system development is the engineering work required to design brakes that can safely handle a vehicle’s weight, speed, and performance targets. The speaker suggests that if weight increases, manufacturers may need to develop stronger or more capable braking hardware.
Term
watt per kg
This is a unit for how much energy the battery can store relative to its weight. Higher numbers generally mean you can get more range without adding as much battery mass.
Energy density is how much “usable energy” a battery can pack into a given weight. If batteries get very energy-dense, you need less battery weight for the same range—until improvements start to slow down.
“Cell level” refers to improvements inside individual battery cells (the smallest unit). The speaker contrasts cell-level gains with system-level work, meaning that even if cells get better, the full battery pack still needs engineering to reduce weight and maintain safety and performance.
“System level” means the complete battery pack and its integration into the vehicle, not just the chemistry inside the cells. The speaker says there’s more weight-reduction work at this level, including packaging, protection, and structural design.
Term
housing cover
A housing cover is the protective outer structure that helps shield the battery pack from impacts and environmental exposure. The speaker groups it with other protective elements as part of the lightweighting effort.
A bumper is the front/rear impact-absorbing structure designed to protect the vehicle during low-speed collisions. The speaker includes it in the lightweighting discussion, implying that reducing mass across multiple body parts can contribute to overall vehicle weight reduction.
Watt hours per kilogram tells you how much energy a battery can store relative to its weight. More Wh/kg usually helps range, but it can be harder and more expensive to build.
Titanium is a tough metal. In battery packs, it can be used for protective housings to help contain problems, but it may make the battery more expensive.
Honkuk Ion Tire is a tire brand made for electric vehicles. They’re saying it’s designed to grip well, be quiet, and help EVs use energy more efficiently.
Mass production means making batteries in large numbers, not just a few test units. The point here is that solid-state may be possible to show off, but it still needs to be ready for large-scale manufacturing.
In battery development, “maturity level” refers to how ready a technology is for real manufacturing and deployment, not just lab demonstrations. Here, the speaker suggests solid-state is around a “4 to 5” stage—enough to demonstrate samples and possibly fit limited demo cars, but not yet fully ready for large-scale production.
The Mercedes-Benz GLC is a luxury SUV. Some versions are electrified, so it can be part of discussions about how many batteries are needed to meet customer demand. It’s brought up because battery demand depends on how many of these vehicles people want.
The BMW i3 is a small electric car made by BMW. It runs on a battery instead of gasoline. It’s mentioned because it didn’t always match what people expected in terms of demand and popularity.
DC fast charging is the “quick charge” method for EVs. It can refill the battery much faster than regular charging, but the exact time varies by the car and conditions.
Concept
regulation-driven environment
A regulation-driven environment means laws and rules strongly affect how companies build and run their operations. For batteries, that can include safety rules and requirements for what happens to batteries later.
Battery recycling means taking used EV batteries and breaking them down so useful materials can be reused. It also helps keep hazardous waste from just being thrown away.
Energy storage means saving electricity for later. Instead of using power immediately, you store it and then use it when it’s needed. The interview contrasts batteries used in EVs with batteries used to support the power grid.
Electrification means switching more things to run on electricity instead of burning fuels. In this conversation, it’s not just cars—it's also other industries. The idea is that better, cheaper batteries will make that switch easier.
A lithium battery is the kind of battery most EVs use. It stores energy using lithium chemistry, and it’s popular because it can hold a lot of energy for its size. The discussion compares it to sodium batteries as another option.
Term
condensed batteries
“Condensed batteries” means batteries that are packed more tightly—smaller or more energy in the same space. The idea is to make batteries more efficient and easier to fit into vehicles or devices. The speaker is treating it as part of the next wave of battery tech.
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Hello and welcome to the Everything Electric Show podcast.
Today, we have a very special guest, LBJU from CATL.
We're at the Beijing Motor Show 2026 and we've got a really lucky chance to speak to you.
You're from CATL.
I've got you for about 30 minutes.
So obviously I'm very interested in CATL.
We think the battery technology that goes into the cars in the market is one of the most
important innovations in the market and I think that being able to speak to you is very,
very lucky for us and the listeners.
So if you could just introduce yourself and what do you do?
Yeah.
Hello, everyone.
My name is Lim Bosu.
My current job is double low.
First, I'm responsible for the technology development for overseas market, except China.
Of course, we have a good connection also with our domestic team.
My second job is to respond for the business in Europe.
I joined CATL 14 years ago after my education and work in the U.S.
And since then, I've responded for the first, I've responded for the sales development,
sales management, sales, all kinds of functions.
Now I'm the CTO for overseas market.
So I find that a lot of people who work for CATL are engineers first and then they kind
of move into other corporate roles.
So you were an engineer, is that right?
And you learned, I think it was physics, was it?
I educated in PhD in chemical engineering and also minor in material science.
I mean, that's very mind blowing for me.
I don't even get close to understanding any of that.
But I think for me, CATL is a very kind of engineering driven company.
You have a lot of researchers.
I loved your presentation the other day at the press conference.
Because one of the slides on the screen was a chemical formula.
And I've never seen that in a press conference before.
I think it's wonderful.
It's really good to see kind of that level of detail, even though I don't understand it.
So we've seen some new products launched at the show this year.
Do you want to very briefly tell us about what some of those products are?
I think in this tech day, there are several technologies released.
Under these kind of products and technology, they will adjust different areas, different car segments.
For example, for the high end, C2 brand name is Keeling.
So for this Keeling for next generation, and even for Keeling also two technologies, it's Keeling third generation.
This is featured with very high engine density, like a sale level, even at 280WKG.
So this means maybe not easy to understand what's number 280.
Let's say just directly compared to LMP.
So engine density increased at least more than 40%.
40% means the weight is much lower.
So this is kind of feature for high end, especially for the mid to high end vehicles like NCM, high power, low weight, and more energy for the e-range.
And also this is also very featured with very fast charge.
And even for the Keeling, we also talk about another one, the Keeling third generation condensed.
This featured with much higher engine density.
So for sale level, even more than 350WKG.
And this technology also actually originally from the technology for the aviation, like for the EVOTO, such a connection, because this need very high engine density.
So we want to leverage this technology for the vehicle applications.
So this is the background.
And this is also featured with, if you put all together in the battery system, not only high end, then stay for charge, but safety.
Because safety, when the engine density get higher, like more than 250WKG, not matching 350WKG, safety is not easy to control.
And also if safety event happened, how to prevent, we call some application stop.
So all this has been developed for this, like solution package for this.
So this is a two technology for NCM.
Then we also talk about the Zengxing generation three.
So this is more crazy.
For the file charge, you talk about like 10% to 80% SoC is like three minutes, 44 seconds.
Just let's say less than four minutes.
So it means that even like let's have a coffee, right?
We found out I have charged us a battery more than 80%.
So this is to solve some concern about like energy, like windmob, like for example, in long range traveling, you need like energy, like charging your vehicle in a short time.
So this technology we used.
And the other, the one we also released is we called for the hybrid.
For the hybrid, I think before it's called PHEV, right?
PHEV, or even in China some is called IEV.
But whatever, like CTO really changes this in Belgium.
Before like people like a mindset like PHEV, usually like 12 years ago, like BMW, Mercedes-Benz, such kind of OEM developed PHEV.
So engine content like a battery energy, maybe only like 10 to 15 kilowatt hours.
10 to 15.
So means E range even like only like 30 kilometer to 100 kilometer.
So there's a small battery with big gas tank.
But still you think future is immobility.
And there's a transition from the combustion engine drive to immortal drive.
Maybe some people still want some like concern about the E range, but still want like the experience of the E drive.
So CTO promote big battery.
So now this is a battery like even for drive more than 400 kilometer.
So basically the idea, you don't need to charge your battery per day.
You just need like one week or two week, one charge.
Then if you want long distance, still we have a combustion engine.
So this is kind of technology to meet some, to fulfill some people still some concern like this kind of people.
So with high end killing and like for entry vehicle, even middle vehicle, use the same thing.
So from Seng Xin and the Chilean generation one to generation three.
So you can see CTO keep developing the technology to maximize the capability immobility.
So today why like EV is kind of so popular in China.
Not people think oh this is because of the policy, government encouragement policy.
But actually behind when your immobility range more than 50%, 60%, definitely behind is this product really meet people's demands.
So this is technology.
Then we also in the conference, you also see some technology for the for the kind of sodium.
Yeah, that's the very exciting one.
So sodium actually CTO pioneered and also promote the technology.
So sodium actually is more get more attention actually is like four and five years ago.
Well, at that time listening price at high.
So definitely we need some like complementary technology.
This technology may not be like replace listening iron battery.
But this is good benefits like complement like supplement like to the alternative for some special segment.
Yes, especially like when like for example, one is for some segment for the angel storage.
The other we also talk about like for the sodium we have to immediate application.
One is in the very like a zero a 00 vehicles.
This only needed for example the energy in the only 10 to 20 kilowatt hour.
And this also sodium technology has one feature is low temperature performance is amazing.
So this is due to the characteristics of this sodium.
So altogether, this is a chemistry.
Then in China, you know, for the immobilized something new, we need like ecosystem.
Ecosystem one example is our battery swapping station.
Like downstairs, you can see our demo of this kind of battery swapping technology.
But for the new generation, we add also the charge.
So this like a battery like a 10 battery in this kind of station.
Actually, this can be provide also the super charge capability for the charging station.
So we call it like a charge swapping station combined this kind of station.
So all this together, you can see we want to meet as a new demands like like high demands for our customers.
And this also good because we are basically we are to be business.
So we as a customer of CTO customer, you can see CTO can always, always enable our customer to compete in this industry.
And also to enable our end customer to enjoy the immobility.
So I think this is the background like technology driven why it's called CTO is called technology driven company.
This is a kind of very brief introduction of our products.
Yeah, thank you. For me, I think there's there's two main things that I took away.
The first is I think you guys are the first company I've heard of in China talking about weight.
Because we've seen at this show today, there's a lot of three row SUVs, they're getting very big, they're getting quite heavy.
But your press your tech day, you were talking about how you can reduce the weight of the battery, how that reduces the wear on components.
There's many, many benefits. The car is faster, you could get more range.
I think this is a very welcome change. I want to know, do you think weight is the next technological kind of breakthrough that needs to happen?
So weight's gone down a little bit already. Do you think weight will go down more and more over the next few years?
Is there a technical limit at some point that we're going to hit?
Yeah, so weight, actually even for the our, let's talk about some overseas customer, like a Porsche, BMW, like Audi and also Mercedes-Benz.
Such a premium segment weight maybe is more sensitive.
This is really to see a driving dynamic.
Completely.
Yeah, completely. And also not mentioning it will affect our breaking distance.
And also if more weight, actually the other cost will increase, like tire consumption and also new brake system development and others.
So weight definitely is a very important factor, but of course people will argue.
Then weight also related to some cost, like an LMP, of course you can drive maybe similar in range, a little more energy, but more weight.
Maybe car dynamic will be affected.
So in this way, I would say for CTO, especially for some segments, weight definitely is the point.
So there's a reason we have developed a keeling, we just introduce a keeling concept.
For such kind of very people enjoy, this can dynamic driving pleasure definitely is very important.
And I would say even like compared to three years ago, when the keeling just developed, actually weight already reduced by more than 100 kilometers.
Then it really imagined whether weight, how much weight further we can go.
I would say we will, when the keeling condensed battery, when cell energy density reaches 350 to 380 watt per kg, then maybe the weight reduction, this kind of job rate will be slowed down.
I think this could be.
Also we have some space to squeeze out, and this is on the cell level, but on the system level, there's more work to do, do.
Like light weight technology in the housing, housing cover and the protection, the bumper.
Then we also develop some like innovative, not only material, but also like structure, special structure.
Let's weight, but have a similar strength of the material.
So this is still ongoing.
I think this could be the next generation product.
It says main points.
So we see more, but how much, I cannot give you exact number yet, but we see definitely for sure it will go down.
Okay, I mean, I wish I could know that number, but I understand why you can't tell me.
But for me, I'm just excited that there's, because driving dynamics is really important in European countries.
So one of the complaints about the EVs from China is that they don't focus so much on that.
But I've seen here today in the last few days that there's a lot more kind of sporty cars, a lot more cars maybe suitable for Europe.
So I'm glad to see CATL focused on that.
One more battery question, then we'll get on to business questions.
I think I saw your aircraft like battery, the 500 watt hours per kilogram battery.
And I thought, this is great.
This is probably a bit of a silly question.
But if we have a 500 watt hour per kilogram battery, why can't we put that one in a car?
Why can't we put that one in a house?
Okay, for the car business, cost is always the topic.
And for the five, if we go to above 450 to 500 watt hour per kilogram, then the cost will be dramatically higher.
So the cost not only on the chemistry, but also the others.
For example, we need a special housing case like a titanium and the sale to sale.
If something happened, propagation needs a very special design.
So today we think cost will be more like a brought in point for this.
Okay, good to know.
Because lots of people say, well, I just want that battery in my car.
It's probably not that easy.
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Everyone at the moment is talking about solid state.
So solid state is the next breakthrough, I guess.
And a lot of people have made announcements in the last few months that they've got solid state
or they're very close to producing solid state.
My feeling is that if CATL have not done solid state yet,
then it's unlikely that other people will be able to do it on a mass market scale.
What's the problem that still needs to be solved with solid state batteries bringing it to market?
CTL will have one special division.
Maybe all the development-added materials scientists,
self-designed, precise internalization, maybe around more than 500 people,
just working on solid state.
So as a technical company like CTL, maybe we are more serious about this technology.
And why we didn't always give very positive, very promising results to the public?
I think because we are a company for the serious product development,
means the product not for the paper, marketing purpose,
media like getting attention, we are more like for the products in the car.
So I think in different cases, in different occasions,
and Robin, our CEO, also mentioned several times,
I think the information definitely is consistent.
The maturity level is not high enough yet for the mass production.
Like Robin gave the skill like 4 to 5,
just means you can demonstrate the sample.
And maybe you can also install this kind of battery for some demo cars in a limited quantity.
Yes, we can do this.
But for the mass production, you need to solve the weather cost,
efficiency and also internalization, mass production.
And also important, the cost.
The cost to fulfill the very, very expensive,
then it becomes a demo car.
So in this way, alien to our say, we are working on that.
But in the next year, we will have next year or in two years,
we have some demo car with solid state for sure, for testing.
But for mass production, we still see a few more years more to go.
I like to hear the real story from CATL,
because if I don't hear it from you guys,
then I don't think it's really going to go to the market.
When I hear it from you at your next tech day in two or three years time,
then I know it's real.
So you spend a lot of time in Europe as part of your job.
What do you think is the biggest problem with electrification in Europe?
So for example, in Germany, only 3% of the market,
like for example, there's only 3% of the market has Chinese cars.
Whereas in the UK, it's about 11%.
I think in Norway, it's 14%.
What do you think is the biggest issue with electric vehicle or hybrid vehicle?
Adoption rates in Europe.
Okay, good question.
This is also I'm thinking.
But one thing I would say in Europe,
in the past two or three years,
immobility rates get accelerated.
Like last year in the whole EU,
the average immobility rate is around 28%.
But Q1, this year in Europe, is above 30%.
Especially in March only,
we see a big increase, year to year increase in Europe.
It's more than 50%, 50% increase.
Of course, this is driven by several factors,
by observation and also our other battery or cell module,
battery supplies to these vehicles.
Like for example, one is the Mercedes-Benz GLC,
and so CLA get very, very, very good demand.
Even CTO need to use all the resources to find more lines,
capacity to meet their demands.
So unexpected high demands.
And also BMW i3 also is definitely out of expectation,
even for their OEM itself, their self estimation.
So when I get popular, of course,
maybe a few months, maybe the gas price is much higher,
about 2 euro something per liter is one factor.
I think this is not the main factor, I would say.
Maybe the main factor, maybe today,
this kind of EV to European,
maybe to a lot of European,
it becomes a vehicle.
It's not a real vehicle.
Not like it's kind of toil.
So why?
Because now you get a very decent e-range.
Like this kind of e-range always kind of above,
depends on different profile.
Let's say 500 km to 1000 km.
And these people will feel comfortable.
Not like before 200 or 300, 400,
at least almost 50% to 100% increase the e-range.
Because 800 volts,
like energy efficiency is much higher, everything.
So this means technologically wise,
it's really, in the new generation, really advanced.
And also fire charge rate,
usually always like 20 minutes or below.
So people will accept this.
Of course, some charging station also not very set good
in fire charge, but also improve.
So all this factor together,
people will think,
oh, this EV is really called a car.
To European standard, maybe.
This is my kind of guess.
Oh, now it's a car.
And also when I drive,
really people will like it.
This kind of dynamic, this acceleration.
So not every people,
but I will say more.
Second of the model, more and more people like it.
Love it.
So I will see, and also another way.
I think European people really concern
about this environment.
This really fits their vision.
So I think this kind of combined factors
we see to drive,
we see this acceleration,
acceleration, transportation to immobility.
This is kind of my thinking.
Yeah, it's good for everyone.
So you were partly responsible
for building the new factory in Germany.
Yes.
Can you tell me a bit about the process
of setting up a battery factory in Germany?
So I think setting up a battery factory in China
is relatively simple,
because you've done it a few times.
But how do you take that kind of technology
or learnings into a completely different market
and set up a battery factory there?
When we talk about this,
maybe we hear more complaints, right?
Complaints about how to do the industrialization
or localization, especially cell plants.
Maybe for the module plants or the battery plants,
it's really much easier.
But for the cell plants,
and also earlier, you also visited our plant,
you can see.
That's right.
Maybe from front to the end,
maybe more than one kilometer.
Yes.
So you can all the bigger scale machines all together.
So it's related to a lot of chemistry.
Chemistry and moving parts,
like chemical, electricity, some all together.
So this will be like,
and also laser, all kinds of laser welding.
So all means,
actually this is also related to a lot of regulations in Europe.
Like even for the death, for example, during the mixing step.
Castle mixing step, we have NNP.
So there will be all kinds of regulations to see
if the spit out of the NNP on the floor, for example,
then what kind of countermeasure we need to do.
Whether we use steel floor,
or whatever will be the fatulation
and also the circulation.
Cannot let the NNP out of the space.
How to recycle.
So all this, even this step,
and I call it review.
So make a thing really complicated.
So when Chinese cell supplies
want to do localizing in Europe,
for our first primary, really challenging.
Because we need to understand all kinds of regulations.
And also we need to understand their construction.
Building construction.
And also another one is machine requirement.
Machine requirement, they need like a certification
to prevent operators, all kinds of protection.
Of course, in China also for short competitions,
but different regulations requirements.
So I would say all this together,
I would say we can never underestimate the complexity
to build a cell plant in Europe.
Not to mention our first plant in Germany.
This will be more.
Of course, three times.
But for CTO, I would say this will be a very good learning curve.
So this reason you can see why we can have a second plant in Hungary
so speed much faster experience.
You definitely went into the hardest market first.
With most regulations.
Yeah, so I would say this also is good like CTO
can become maybe a little international company.
So we can operate in the overseas
and in a very regulation-driven environment.
So I think it's very interesting because in the 80s and 90s
a lot of Western companies were going into China
to set up their factories for the first time.
But now it's the other way around.
All the Chinese factories are now setting up overseas.
I think one more question is around recycling.
So battery recycling.
So we have had a number of programs on YouTube about battery recycling.
It's still on quite a small scale.
There doesn't seem to be much regulation
or standardization of battery recycling at the moment.
How much of a part will that play for CTO in the future?
Will it become like a significant part of the business?
What's going to happen?
In China, the cycle business is given a part.
One reason is that first is the material recycled from battery from electrical parts
like computer, iPhone, recycled material, lithium, cobalt.
Because this is also a big amount.
And also now in China some first generation of battery also get recycled.
So this even CTO itself, we have recycled.
This skill is in dozens of thousands of tons more than this.
Should be hundreds, hundreds of thousands, such kind of skills.
And also this kind of material like lithium, nickel has been
go back to our battery today.
And even for lithium, some part is more than 10% is from recycled lithium.
So in China this becomes a necessary part in this circular economy.
This really do in China.
It's happened.
And also we see this very beneficial.
Not only to make us less dependent on the raw material itself
and also to contribute to the CO2 saving.
For the mining definitely to the recycle the CO2 much less lithium, nickel,
especially nickel, such kind of cobalt.
And also like this environmental.
But you mentioned to the Europe, why we didn't see such kind of skill yet?
I would say not ready yet because the used and the life battery are not enough yet.
And this kind of feedstock not enough.
And the second point that we see is we don't have, I think we will build
not like a bigger recycle company yet.
You can see the small one, skill.
Because small skill means we need to pay your recycler to collect my battery.
I need to pay you money.
But in China opposite.
But I will see in Europe it will come when the skill reach some points.
And because this also required by the European battery regulations.
Like for some like 2008, 2030, you need a different amount of recycled metal in the battery.
So this will be also the regulation required.
So CTO is preparing all that because we have a subsidiary company from to do this.
And also we are open to work with other partners on the recycle.
Because we also in Europe, we also want to build this closed loop.
This not only for a criminal lot like CO2, also save money.
Because definitely for the NCM, lithium, nickel, cobalt.
The cost can be really much, should be lower by this kind of recycle process.
So I will say in Europe definitely it will come.
Just needs a bit of time.
I think one more question we can wrap up.
Just around the future.
So what does the next 10 years look like for the battery industry?
Not just in China but around the world.
What are going to be some of the big breakthroughs?
What are going to be some of the big innovations?
What's the world going to look like?
Well no one knows what the world will look like.
But what's going to happen with batteries in the next 10 years?
I think for CTO, none of the main two business.
One is the battery for EV, the other is the battery for energy storage.
I think in 10 years we see more electrification for the other, for the other industries.
Whether it's the EVO, aviation and also the others.
So I would say I think in the world, carbon neutral is kind of a very common understanding.
So I think in 10 years I would say whether it's lithium battery or sodium battery,
the volume will get big and the electrification will be more expanded to the different areas.
So this is the thing we can imagine.
The other in terms of technology, technology I would say it's battery technology.
Whether you can imagine whether solid state or CTO also condensed batteries,
the technology maturity will be much higher, much higher, cost will be down.
So we see everything just because this is kind of a building block.
This building can get more efficient, cost effective.
So I see that whether immobility or electrification of different segments will become more common.
So my big image like electrification will be everywhere.
I mean that's very good for here and I think our audience have found it very interesting
to kind of get a behind the scenes view of CATL, the battery business, expansion in Europe.
So thank you very much for your time and I hope everyone who's watching on YouTube
or listening at home has enjoyed this interview. So thank you.
Thank you very much.
Today we're talking about how you don't have to earn more when you can save more.
Okay, so you brought me this stat.
T-Mobile customers had the lowest wireless bills versus Verizon and AT&T over the past five years.
That seems surprising.
Yeah, when I first heard it, I thought, okay.
But when the experts at Harry Sachs broke it down, it was true for millions of families.
They have a five-year price guarantee on experience plans and America's best network plus lower bills.
I'm not hearing any sacrifice here.
Which is what people need right now. Reliability, predictability.
Affordable wireless service isn't a perk. That's a difference.
And listeners, if you don't believe me, you can check it out at T-Mobile.com forward slash switch.
Best Mobile Network based on an analysis by Oak Leaf Speed Test Intelligence Data 2H 2025.
Price guarantee on talk text and data exclusions like text and fees apply.
Based on Harry Sachs billing snapshots from Q321 to Q425 compared to average AT&T and Verizon bills.
Comparison excludes discounts, credits, and optional charges.
For more details, see harrasex.com slash T-Mobile dash bills.
About this episode
CATL CTO Lim Bosu talks through his overseas and Europe-focused responsibilities, then gets into battery performance targets and the tradeoffs behind them. He claims a next-gen chemistry can hit “10% to 80% SoC” in “three minutes, 44 seconds,” while higher energy density makes safety harder to control. The conversation compares lithium and sodium, including sodium’s cold-weather strength and swap/charge infrastructure. Solid-state timelines are framed as demos in about two years, with mass production “a few more years” away, alongside Europe’s adoption-rate challenges.
Recorded live at the 2026 Beijing Auto Show, Elliot Richards sits down with Dr. Zhu Lingbo "LB", CTO of CATL's International Business Unit, for a conversation about the battery technologies that are reshaping the automotive industry. From 3-minute charging and 1,500 km batteries to the reality of solid-state development, this episode delves into the breakthroughs, bottlenecks, and global power struggle defining the future of EVs. LB Zhu explains how CATL's latest Qilin and Shenxing battery platforms are pushing energy density, charging speed, and weight reduction further than ever before, and why the company believes lighter batteries may matter just as much as bigger ones. In this episode:
CATL's 3 min 44 sec charging breakthrough
350 Wh/kg "Condensed State" batteries
Why EV weight is becoming a major battleground
The real timeline for solid-state batteries
CATL's expansion into Germany and Europe
The future of battery recycling and circular supply chains
China vs Europe in the global battery race
0:00 CATL's Vision for the Future of EVs 2:18 Qilin vs Shenxing: CATL's New Battery Breakthroughs 5:41 3-Minute Charging: How Fast Can EVs Really Get? 8:02 Sodium-Ion Batteries & the Next Chemistry Shift 10:27 Why EV Weight Is the Industry's Next Big Battle 14:20 Why 500 Wh/kg Batteries Aren't Ready for Cars 16:15 The Truth About Solid-State Batteries 19:06 Europe's EV Slowdown & Global Electrification Trends 23:18 Inside CATL's Expansion Into Germany 27:25 Battery Recycling & the Circular Economy Future 31:48 What EVs Will Look Like in 2036 Why not come and join us at our next Everything Electric expo: www.everythingelectric.show Check out our sister channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/EverythingElectricShow
